New US sanctions against Russia over Skripal poisoning

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The United States is hitting Russia with new sanctions to punish President Vladimir Putin's government for using a nerve agent against a former spy and his daughter in Britain.

The US State Department says the Trump Administration has determined that Russia has used chemical or biological weapons in violation of international law, but the action comes five months after the US expelled more than 50 Russian diplomats in retaliation for the same poisoning.

Nicholas Burns is a former US Ambassador to NATO who spent almost three decades working for Republican and Democratic administrations.

He said the new sanctions could be an effective show of support for the UK, but it would be more significant if President Trump specifically put his voice behind them.